Whose You Are; Who You Are; Why You Are: 1 Peter 2.4-10

[Today I was again privileged to speak at the Capitol Bible Study. Below is what I presented]

Whose You Are; Who You Are; Why You Are

1 Peter 2.4-10

“4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:4-10 ESV).

You are a Rock that doesn’t roll; a priest that is pleasing; a sacrifice that’s savory! That’s one of the major points of this whole passage; so that we do not lose our way in the scuffles, scrapes, scurryings and scary things in life we need to realize, remember and reckon that God has made us a rock that doesn’t roll, a priest that is pleasing, and a sacrifice that’s savory. Let me unpack this a little bit:

Rock that doesn’t roll – you’re a living stone put in your place – into the walls of God’s Holy Spirit shaped temple house (v.5). So, you’re not rolling anywhere, because you’re in tight.

Priest that’s pleasing – you’re part of a whole band of priests – a “holy priesthood” (v.5), and a “royal priesthood” (v.9) who offers what is “acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (v.5), proclaiming “the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (v.9).

Sacrifice that’s savory – one of the things the Levites in the Old Testament were was a wave offering; “and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the people of Israel, that they may do the service of the LORD… And you shall set the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and shall offer them as a wave offering to the LORD… And after that the Levites shall go in to serve at the tent of meeting, when you have cleansed them and offered them as a wave offering” (Numbers 8:11, 13, 15 ESV). And so, God-chosen priests are savory sacrifices to the Lord. This is what is lurking behind Paul’s statement in Romans 12, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

You are a Rock that doesn’t roll; a priest that is pleasing; a sacrifice that’s savory!

There are, then, at least three things to garner from all of this:

First, united to Christ your destiny is wrapped up and plugged into his destiny! (a) Just as he was “rejected by men” (v.4), you will be rejected by fellow citizen, friends, family, firms, and officials. (b) But, in spite of any of that, just as Jesus was “in the sight of God chosen and precious” (v.4) you too – even when rejected – are in the sight of God chosen and precious. Because you are in Christ, your destiny is wrapped up and plugged into his destiny. You are a rock that doesn’t roll, a priest that’s pleasing, and a sacrifice that’s savory!

Second, whatever role you play, whatever assignment you fulfill in God’s World Rescue Operation, you are always a rock that doesn’t roll, a priest that’s pleasing, a sacrifice that’s savory! Your identity is not absorbed into your roll or assignment. This is good news for various reasons. Allow me to use myself as an example: I’m a minister, and failure, frustration, fruitlessness and futility are my constant, nagging companions. It easy to transfer these to me; that I’m a failure because there’s failure in my ministry; I’m fruitless because there’s fruitlessness in my ministry; I’m a thorough flop because there’s futility in my ministry. But no! Because I’m in Christ, united to Christ, plugged into Christ, God has made me a rock that doesn’t roll, a priest that’s pleasing, a sacrifice that’s savory!

Third, but also remember that you are chosen IN the Chosen One; your saved BY God’s saving Son. But you were not chosen just to be chosen, you were not saved just to be saved. You were chosen and saved to be a rock that doesn’t roll, a priest that’s pleasing, a sacrifice that’s savory. You were chosen to be these things in God’s World Rescue Operation. As a secure rock in God’s temple-house you are part of all peoples coming to draw near to God and Worship him; as a priest offering acceptable sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ, you are a go-between reconciling people to God; as a sacrifice, you are part of God’s making people acceptable to himself.

Therefore, call to mind whose you are; recollect who you are; and recall why you are. You’re a rock that doesn’t roll; a priest that’s pleasing; a sacrifice that’s savory.

[Feel free to repost or republish; but as always, please give credit where credit is due. Mike]